If you’re anything like me, you were slightly (read: incredibly) upset that the Boston Celtics didn’t strike a deal with the Atlanta Hawks to land Al Horford at the trade deadline.
No, I’m not a Celtics fan, nor do I despise the Hawks. Horford just seems like a great fit in Boston, while, at the time, Atlanta appeared as if it was ready to move on. Putting Horford in Celtics green just made sense.
And, apparently, it still makes sense to team president Danny Ainge.
According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski (h/t ProBasketballTalk), the Celtics have not given up on adding Horford into the fold:
Part of the reason, sources tell me, that Boston didn’t make an immense offer to Atlanta for Al Horford was – because Horford is a free agent this summer – Boston feels like it’s got a real chance to get Horford in free agency.
Makes sense.
The Celtics are still in need of a legitimate superstar and will have plenty of cap flexibility this summer. Horford fits their bill for versatile players who can do just about anything. He can post up, put the ball on the floor, stroke threes, drop dimes and protect the rim. Boston doesn’t have a big who boasts that far-flung skill set—few teams do.
Signing Horford may not vault the Celtics into true contender territory. But they would be pretty damn close. Landing him could spell the departure of Jared Sullinger, who is a restricted free agent, but Kelly Olynyk and Horford have the potential to work better together.
Acquiring him via free agency, rather than by way of trade, also allows the Celtics to keep the heart of their assets intact. They can feasibly add Horford and then make a blockbuster trade offer for another superstar—most likely a high-profile wing.
Just thinking about this is tantalizing. And while the Horford-to-Boston train doesn’t seem as inevitable as the LaMarcus-Aldridge-to-San-Antonio bus did, the idea doesn’t feel even the slightest bit farfetched, either.
